Economist, Telegraph Columnist, Broadcaster

Quotes from Liam

“But there are worrying signs that this imbalance could soon unwind. Were that to happen, we’d see a plunging dollar, a US recession – and serious turbulence on financial markets across the world. It could be downhill all the way after Davos”

28 Jan 2007

“Let what is now happening in Europe serve as a reminder, a 28m decibel wake-up call, that serious economic debate matters, and matters a lot. Attempts to dismiss or even suppress it, because it’s “hard” or “boring”, have very real human consequences.”

27 May 2012

“In reality, “growth versus austerity” is a false and dangerous dichotomy, a misleading policy choice that has been formulated and fed to electorates in Britain and elsewhere by opportunistic politicians and their pet intellectuals.”

13 May 2012

“While there’s lots of hype about tar sands and shale fuels, these new technologies often expend more energy than they create. Conventionally-produced crude will remain absolutely critical, and demand for it will continue to spiral, until mankind bans the internal combustion engine, outlaws ammonium-based fertilizers, dismantles the global pharmaceutical industry and learns to live without plastic. I can’t see that happening anytime soon.”

26 Feb 2012

“No-one knows who is solvent. The drip-drip of stress test information causes more problems than it solves. So stand-behind retail depositors, impose “full disclosure” and let the cards fall, forcing our bombed-out banks to consolidate. This really is the only solution – in the US, the UK and the eurozone.”

11 Dec 2011

“Instead of being used as a necessary emergency measure, or a crash pad, the UK’s QE programme has instead expanded grotesquely and became a comfort blanket. Billed as a £50bn initiative back in 2009, it has since doubled, doubled and almost doubled again. forcing our bombed-out banks to consolidate. This really is the only solution – in the US, the UK and the eurozone.”

05 January 2014

“While the escalation of any kind of tension in the Middle East is obviously a serious matter, I don’t accept that’s why crude prices are high. The real reason – perhaps less interesting, but no less important for that – is simple demand and supply. Global crude use is soaring, while the most important oil wells on earth are rapidly depleting.”